5th and 8th grade pupils’ and teachers’ perceptions of the relationships between teaching methods, classroom ethos, and positive affective attitudes towards learning mathematics in Japan



230

Table 7.2.4: 8th graders’ affective attitudes towards mathematics learning promoted by
Teacher explanation and Group discussion varying according to their attribution styles of
failure in mathematics learning

Teacher
explanation

Enjoyment

Motivation__________

Sense of security

Senseofprogress

Deployment

_N__

M__

SD

N

M__

SD

N___

M__

SD

_N___

M__

SD

N___

M__

SD

Lack of ability

88

3.22

1.32

87

2.71

1.37

87

3.05

1,39

87

3.60

1.26

87

3.85

1.17

Lack of effort

487

3.35

1.22

485

3.22

1.21

482

3.41

1.20

482

3.82

1.06

485

3.93

1.05

Lack of luck

16

3.50

1.21

16

3.56

1.26

16

3.44

1.03

16

4.00

1.16

16

3.69

1.20

Lack of support
form teacher

55

2.65

1.42

54

2.48

1.30

55

2.93

1.41

55

3.07

1.29

55

3.73

1.06

Lack of home
support___________

24

^W

1.31

24

3.17

~T37^^

24

3.38

1.31

~1Γ

^3√Γ

1.08

24

3.96

-96^^

Task difficulty

~58~

1.28

58

3.28

~125~

58

3.36

^τL29-

58

3.93

1.01

58

3.64

^TlΓ

ANOVA_______

F=1.512, p<1.0

F=2.293, p<. 01

F=1257, p<1.0

F=2.470, p<. 01

F=1,277, p<.5

Group
discussion_________

Enjoyment_________

Motivation___________

Sense of security

Sense of progress

Deployment_______

_N___

M__

SD

N___

M

SD

N___

M__

SD

N___

M__

SD

N___

M__

SD

Lack of ability

88

2.72

1.39

87

2.83

1.46

87

2.67

1.44

87

2.53

1.27

87

1.51

.79

Lack of effort

487

2.72

1.29

484

2.69

1.24

480

2.60

1.21

482

2.72

1.19

482

1.56

.75

Lack of luck_______

16

2.63

1.26

16

2.44

1.41

16

2.25

1.13

16

2.50

1.16

16

1.44

.73

Lack of support
form teacher

55

2.55

1.39

55

2.55

1.36

55

2.31

1.25

55

2.11

1.29

55

1.35

.70

Lack of home
support___________

24

3.08

1.35

24

^27Γ

1.20

24

2.88

1/19

~24^"

2.79

-98^

23

1.70

.64

Task difficulty

58

2.67

1.47

58

2.71

1.21

58

2.53

1.05

58

2.48

1.06

58

1.47

.68

ANOVA_______

F=1.092, p<. 5

F=.775, p<1.0

F=1.327, p<. 5

F=2.039, p<. 01

F=1.297, p<.5

Teachers’ perception

Teachers were asked to explain in an open question on the questionnaire why they
thought some of their pupils succeeded in learning mathematics and others failed to do
so. Space was given for teachers to explain the attributions of their pupils’ being good or
poor at mathematics separately. However, many teachers presented closely related
views regarding the attributions of pupils’ success and failure in mathematics learning.
Teachers perceived that pupils failing in mathematics learning lacked certain
characteristics, which pupils succeeding had. Teachers’ attributions for pupils’ being
good at mathematics were broadly divided into four categories: Effort, Ability, Interest,
and Competencies.

Effort indicated pupils’ positive attitudes towards learning mathematics such as
concentration on learning and perseverance. Many teachers whose response was
categorised into this group used the word ‘effort’ or ‘continuous effort’.

Ability indicated pupils’ natural innate abilities. Teachers wrote, for example,
‘Heredity’, ‘Nature’, ‘Native sense’ here.

Interest indicated pupils’ high interest in learning mathematics. Examples included
‘Fond of learning mathematics’, and ‘High interest in mathematics’.

230



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